


100k for the cute android in tears

by QueenYandereOfficial



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Androids, Double Personalities, F/F, Lost of memories, M/M, Multiblepovs, Multiple POV's, My Attempt At Vagueness, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Probably nothing of the sort, Romance, Slow Burn, Temporary Amnesia, androids x humans, bosskado, reference to violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-30
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-04-04 00:03:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 17,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4119406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenYandereOfficial/pseuds/QueenYandereOfficial
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mikado Ryuugamine - or model 'D0114MR5' - was a malfunctioning, broken, disgusting excuse for an android, and today was officially his last day of existing. </p><p>Or at least it was supposed to be, until an information broker named Izaya Orihara bought him for 100 thousand dollars.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Walking Calamity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In just a few words his reality had changed, opening up the sky for him and allowing him to look up to the stars unchained. Before he knew it he was sold to Izaya Orihara. (Re-Post)

His steps echoed in his head, on the stage, and in the room. Mikado couldn't find it in his heart to care about efficiency so he walked like a snail on surface impossible to crawl on. Not necessarily to prolong his imminent death but instead to anger his already tense caretakers, who had stated time and time again before this that they had 'somewhere to go' and that they 'didn't have time to spend on such useless things'.

Instead he was effective at drowning out the multitude of people talking around him. From the announcer, to the groups of scientists watching with uncaring expressions, to the buyer themselves- none were spared, all were muffled and ignored. There was little point in focusing on details on what amounted to his death bed, he thought, as he finally made it center stage.

Mikado Ryuugamine was something akin to a broken toy. A calamity on two legs, and mistake on all scales; a thing to be laughed at and used for scraps. He was 'born' about 9 years ago, made by a young, up-and-coming scientist, who had decided that despite his limited skill, that he was going to make an android. Thus came Mikado, the doctors first- and no doubt last- creation. Somewhere in his first year of existing his creator left. Leaving him on sleep mode in a thrashed lab among wires and deafening silence. Fast-forward 2 years and somehow Mikado was functional enough for a group of scientist to start their careers on. 

Fast-forward 6 more years and it was sad to see how sharp Mikado's fortunes declined.

As the bidding officially started Mikado couldn't banish away growing nauseating feeling in his bones, and the sickly nature in his breathing. He felt confined in his own fate, the ending he knew was coming for him and it absolutely terrifying. A darkness that was so impenetrable and so foreboding that he felt suffocated and fractured.  
As numbers were listed off and declining, Mikado stayed stagnant; flickering from a desperate attempt to stay together, to wanting to escape death himself.

If you looked closely you would notice the twitching of his muscles and the pure terror in his eyes but then again, nobody ever looked closely with Mikado. 

750,000, Another twitch. 500,000, Another. 450,000 then 300,000. Only silence and an empty husk resided in the room. 

Something ignited in Mikado's skin. Something that could not easily be distinguished from rage and helplessness. Maybe it was a tiny bit of both. He just wanted it to be over, he wanted to stop being humiliated, he wanted his suffering to end- but it was clear that even now, no matter how much he wished, no one would ever grant it. Perhaps that's why he was angry.

200,000  
Now if one were to look closely you'd see the pathetic android crying. This was strange for 3 reasons. 

Androids weren't programmed to cry.  
And even if they were, most had no feelings and could not express themselves.  
And that an Android, was producing tears, all by itself.

 

Luckily for Mikado one man believed this to be a miracle. Sitting in the far corner of the auditorium, somewhere in the shade of darkness was the man-clad in darkness himself- who watched Mikado with a sort of insane fervor. The moment the android had started crying a wide grin had spread on his face.  
"100,000?Who'll give m-"  
"100 thousand for the cute android crying~"  
Mikado was in the middle of wiping his tears away when he heard something so surprising that it ought to be a miracle for him. He was shocked still, and he wasn't the only one; the entire room was forced silent as the man who spoke came forward. The first thing Mikado noticed was how intimidating the man was despite being quite lanky- the second thing was beautiful red eyes. His heart squeezed itself up at the sight of them.

"Though he has so much more auction value, I like to save money, so I hope you don't mind" The whispers started almost immediately after.

'Izaya Orihara!? The famous Yakuza boss!?'  
'I heard that he was a pimp!'  
'I thought he was a drug dealer?'  
'He's a information broker- pretty popular in the dirty parts of Ikebukuro"  
'Is that why he's buying such junk! Never would've thought he was a trash collector ' 

He couldn't even find it in his heart to care about their harsh words; instead his mind was blank, cleared by the absurdity of the situation.  
Then the mans eyes left his to stare at the auctioneer,  
"Well? What are you waiting for? Start the countdown" Then those eyes were back on him.

"G-going once, Going twice" the man said shaken and slightly rushed,"Sold! To the man in black for 100 thousand dollars!"  
In just a few words his reality had changed, opening up the sky for him and allowing him to look up to the stars unbounded. Before he knew it he was sold to Izaya Orihara, the man who saved his life. And yet...he still felt afraid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Finally done with the fist re-chapter. It was a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoy it! I'll try to get updates to come out sooner so I can get to where I left off before. Thanks and bye, bye!


	2. Welcome Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There's no need to be so hesitant Mikado. Our apartment isn't going to swallow you hole".Despite there being a lit of amusement in Izaya's voice, it was forceful, a silent order to go inside. Something told Mikado that it was purposely there so after a look over he walked inside.
> 
> True to his word, the apartment didn't try to eat him and a part of him felt at ease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is the edited version of chapter two! My writing has even gotten better from my last edit so hopefully it wont be so cringe worthy. And I think now's a good time to start deleting later chapter to make sure any new reader isn't too confused. 
> 
> Sorry for taking so long and I hope you enjoy!

Even as he approached his new home- his master at the steering wheel humming a cherry melody- Mikado still felt anxious. And it wasn't completely because he had found the reality to be a lot like fiction, either. No he had gotten over his blatant surprise as he was watching his his about-to-be master sign his legal paper with obnoxiously red ink; the color fit him.   
In the space where it read;   
Name of Item. Izaya had, instead of writing his code number 'D0114MR5', he wrote in almost unreadable cursive- Mikado. He felt like he was in a bubble all the way to his master's car...the type that filled to the top an drowned somebody.  
Except this drowning sensation felt too good to be true. 

xxx

The door to his new home opened with a press of a finger to a beeping scanner. He glanced inside- only being able to see a glimpse of what the space had to offer- and from what he could see his new home was comfortable...but minimal.  
He flinched when a heavy hand came down on his shoulder,  
"There's no need to be so hesitant Mikado. Our apartment isn't going to swallow you hole".Despite there being a lit of amusement in Izaya's voice, it was forceful, a silent order to go inside. Something told Mikado that it was purposely there so after a look over he walked inside.

True to his word, the apartment didn't try to eat him and a part of him felt at ease.   
"Well? How do you like it?" he asked and came too close for comfort.   
At first Mikado was caught off guard, racking his brain for the right words as he looked around.  
"It's very nice," and when Izaya didn't look sated he rushed to add, "It reminds me of the labs a little,except- more comfortable" 

Mikado learned almost immediately that when Izaya was satisfied, he was so much more pleasant than when he wasn't. That spark of interest in his eyes was blatant and it was like their curiosity was tugging at his lips, forcing them open and coercing him to elaborate.  
For some reason his lips became drier than before and he couldn't resist licking them, " The space they allowed me to have a was decent, but it was only that. I spent half the time not really caring but...being here made it more apparent"

"Ah, the old saying the grass is always greener on the other side huh?" Izaya said- a smirk playing on his lips-as he finally backed off and plopped on one of his many couches, " well welcome to your new home, live it up".   
Mikado didn't know how to respond to that and thankfully he didn't have to. After Izaya brought out a chess board and multiple pieces he turned to him again. 

"Ne, do you know how to cook Mikado? It's been so long since Namie agreed to make me something". Mikado felt the urge to let his curiosity run wild but maybe years knowing when a where to shut up stopped him.  
"Yes, do you have anything specific in mind"   
With a wave of his hand Izaya turned to face the chessboard- though not before Mikado could see his face split into a malicious grin-,   
"I don't really care, just make sure it's nothing sweet, I hate sweet things"

The childishness expressed in that statement was such a contrast to the aura around his master. It sent a delicious shiver down his spine as he got to work.


	3. Wandering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But at the same time an excited energy coursed through him and even though he had to push through less welcome crowds, he couldn't help but feel glad Izaya had given him this assignment. Even if he looked like the shadiest person in the street- wearing a dark blue suit and carrying an even shadier suitcase.
> 
>  
> 
> AKA- Mikado pushed his luck and was pushed out of Izaya's apartment to do meet up with a transporter and deliver a package.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Sorry for being late again, but my week has been utter hell! School takes up like all of my time, and I can barely do the things I like. But besides that, as some of you might have noticed I've changed a few things about this story... well a lot of things! Before I had focused more on interactions between Izaya and Mikado, had a sucky story, and didn't really know what I was doing at all.   
>  Now things are more organized and I actually have a plan. So sorry for the kinda lack of romance between them, I dont want to make it completely a slow burn but I do want to make their attraction realistic. This is kind of a intermission chapter hope you don't mind too much!
> 
> But besides that! I hope you enjoy <333

When he finally arrived in Ikebukuro the first thing Mikado took note of was how the city seemed to breath on its own. People came in and went out like blood in a vein. Things were always happening, nothing stopped, the city itself seemed to be alive. He also felt apprehensive. He said to Izaya that he would be able to survive in this world like any other human...but in this city, he felt like he could get swallowed hole.   
But at the same time an excited energy coursed through him and even though he had to push through less welcome crowds, he couldn't help but feel glad Izaya had given him this assignment. Even if he looked like the shadiest person in the street- wearing a dark blue suit and carrying an even shadier suitcase. And something told him he didn't want to be caught with whatever was in that suitcase.

He felt paranoid surrounded by the throng of people so he quickly escaped to the back corners of the streets, in the narrow and dirty alleyways. He leaned on the back of a building enjoying the stray cats and the constant noise. Being stuck in a laboratory for most of his life made him appreciate even things like these. 

xxx  
"What was your reason for buying me, Izaya-san?" he dared to ask because despite avoiding asking this for almost a week he continued to obsessively wonder. And what is thought in the mind is always more likely to be said at the worst times.  
"Hm? Oh, that." It didn't take a genius to realize what kind of person Izaya Orihara wasn't. Mikado knew he wasn't one to give out information easily even if it was about the simplest of things. It made sense, he had an intimate relationship with information as a job, it basically came with the job description- but understanding that didn't make Izaya any easier to deal with.

"Why should you care?" he said with no malice in his voice," you're out of that lab and you survived another day! Is it perhaps because you doubt my motives? Are you worried that I may one day just leave you behind just as they did?"   
If Izaya was going to play inconspicuous he figured he had to play bold. 

"Things that are gained without deep thought are so much easier discarded," he said then added," y-yeah I am".  
"And what if you're discarded Mikado-chan? What then, I'm quite interested in what your next move would be?"   
Mikado didn't have to think long,  
He thought about it for a moment,  
"Well I'd need a place to live, so...I guess I'd get a job first". He tried to keep his voice even but couldn't help falter. Just hypothetical discussion was enough to make him terrified. 

A flash of pleased shock passed Izaya's eyes but it was gone as soon as it came.   
"And here I thought you'd be desperate to find a master" he laughed," most androids are built to live dependently Mikado, are you saying you'd go against your own nature to survive? What a human thing to do".

"The nature of androids maybe, but everything that I am kinda goes against what androids are...so-I think I'd be able to do okay " he flinched as he watched Izaya grin like a madman.  
He stood up suddenly humming as he walked around to the back of his desk a pulled out a medium sized briefcase and a bag.   
He looked into the bag, "I'm glad I decided to buy this today, it came in handy," and with no warning he chucked the bag at Mikado, who was barely about to catch the items as they dropped everywhere; clothes. Next was the briefcase which was kicked to Mikado's side.

He stood confused for a moment looking from the new clothes to the shady suitcase. He felt the same dreading emotion he felt when he had first met Izaya resurface.   
He didn't even want to know what was in the suitcase. Half hour later he was dressed in the clothes Izaya had bought him and preparing to go out.  
"I was planning on delivering that brief case to my usual transporter, but something too important came up- so if you could be a darling and send that off for me~"   
"What does this transporter look like? Where will I find them?" he asked and knew he wasn't going to get a direct question.  
"That's the thing, Mikado-kun, you'll have to find that out yourself. Explore Ikebukuro and deliver that before the 9pm deadline".

Mikado gave Izaya a look of utter disbelief, not bothering to hide his emotions from the now chuckling man.   
"But since I'm such a gracious being I'll grant you one clue; this transporter is something of a legend, and gallops through the city like a madman. Only a few people know they're anything but" he finished laughing and Mikado rolled his eyes.  
'That will have to do' he thought and unlocked the door.

But before he could walk out he hears Izaya add one more thing,  
"Your curfew is 10pm, Good luck~"  
When he closed the door the air of day greeted him and his chest picked up with a strange excitement.  
But it was only when he got far enough that Izaya's apartment disappeared behind other buildings that he truly felt free.  
He could fool himself into believing that he wasn't attached to anybody, that he had no master,- that he was just like any other person walking on the street.   
xxx

Now he was here, lost on what to do and barely enjoying the temporary freedom he had been granted. He felt bored, after a while- like all the sparkles had faded. If only-  
"WooHooo! That was awesome boss! Those assholes got what they deserved"   
"Keep it down guys, it wasn't that spectacular"   
He jumped, scrambling to get himself together all the while cursing himself- he had forgotten what kind of people wander these alleyways. Though he was just a shady, he doubted he'd do well in the presence of gangs.   
"Ah? What do we have here? Who the fuck are you?" Too late, he found himself thinking and faster than he thought he would- got himself together.   
'Might as well play it cool then', he turned around eyes landing on yellow.

"Whoa guys, he doesn't look like a rival gang member" the guy who appeared to be the leader- he looked like a teenager, with dirty blond hair and an almost ridiculous smirk- approached him.   
"You look a bit young to be wearing a suit and hanging around in dirty alleyways, why are around these parts?"   
He decided to answer truthfully...kind of,   
"Well, I didn't feel comfortable in the crowds..and wanted some air so.."  
The boy found this amusing and laughed,   
"People shy? No wonder, you struck me as that type" 

He pouted feeling a bit wounded, he still had his pride no matter how small it was.  
"You don't even know me". That brought another laugh out of blond.  
"Then lets get to know each other," he held out his hand, " Kida Masaomi, at your service"


	4. WaWaWa Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -Mikado lets himself be dragged through the city by Kida, and along the way gets way more than he asked for, but exactly what he wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! I managed to finish this ahead of schedule. I had a lot if fun writing this and I'm slowly but surely bringing the chapters that I deleted back. A little more Izaya here and I hope you enjoy >^

The first thing that Mikado noticed about Kida was just how energetic he was. He had thought he had caught a full glimpse of how excitable he was when he had first introduced himself- but what he was seeing here was so beyond that assumption. Kida had called his men off, seeing as they looked at Mikado with suspicion and malice, so they could 'get to know each other better'.  
It baffled Mikado, who only decided to accept the offer hoping to see if Kida had any leads for his mission, why would Kida have any reason to trust him? It also kept him on his feet and wary of the blonde teen, who was now flirting with any and every girl that crossed their paths.

It almost dispelled the image of a tough gang boss that led the Yellow Scarves, but Mikado wasn't dumb. Living with Izaya had taught him a few things about just how two faced any person could be.  
He sighed,  
"So exactly what did you want to talk about?" He asked, hoping to speed this along, he had places to be and insane informants to please.  
"Sorry, Mikado but picking up girls is serious business, almost-no even more serious than running a gang! You must understand this basic fact before we could even start to talk about my preferences."  
Mikado rolled his eyes, keeping a smile purposely off his face,  
"I'm sure"

"Is that sass I hear from you," Masaomi spoke loudly as if he was making a national declaration, "I am your guide for this evening so I can just bring you to a red-light district and abandon you there, you know. You are new here aren't you?" Kida had said this jokingly so Mikado wasn't worried...yet.  
He nodded,  
"How do you figure?" they made their way through what seemed like a shopping center and several food courts. It reminded Mikado that he hadn't eaten since the morning, but he wasn't hungry enough to stop their progress just to get food. He could wait.

"Pfft, its pretty easy man, you walk around like you're lost and you stare at every tall building like you've never seen anything so tall before," he grinned flipping around so that he could walk backwards. The people parted for him like a sea," what are you a country boy or something?"  
Mikado frowned, he was so used to masking his emotions around Izaya that he almost felt like he had to play them up now to truly feel liberated,  
"That's not why...it feels strange here-nostalgic almost?"

"Hmmm...," Masaomi sounded contemplative and he looked at Mikado with hazel eyes that flickered with something that made Mikado nervous. But as quick as it appeared it was gone, "are you sure you're a first time visitor?"  
Mikado nodded,  
"Well... It's not like that matters because I'm still going to give you a proper Ikebukuro welcome!"  
Some part of him felt relieved when Kida was back to his joyful mood, despite knowing better and knowing that he had roused suspicion in Kida. Suspicion of what? He had no idea.  
Izaya would probably laugh at his stupidity. 

He felt himself deflate. Since when did Izaya's opinion hold any weight over his decisions? Since when did he actively start caring and thinking about Izaya as if he was his master. He was, in name only, but to treat him like that almost made it true. Perhaps he had grown on Mikado, like some flesh eating fungus that stretched out it's limbs wherever it wanted without a care in the world.  
"-Hey! Are you listening? Earth to Mikado~" Kida's obnoxious waving brought him out of his thoughts and he was presented with a corndog shoved in his face.  
"Eh?" he stuttered dumbly, but took the corndog anyway, which made Masaomi laugh. 

"I thought you might want some food. You can thank me once you get so meat on those bones."  
"B-but I can't just let you do-"  
"Less talking and more eating! I feel as though you're shrinking into skin and bones right in front of me."  
He sighed again and came to the realization that this was something he would just have to deal with if he was going to be hanging around Masaomi.

"What are you some pushy uncle?" he grumbled as he took a harsh bite.  
Masaomi laughed again and patted his shoulder- the one with the suitcase on it. Mikado had let his grip loosen on it during the course of their conversation and now re-adjusted it; just to be safe. When they both finished their food they started walking again.

"Now! There are a few things that your going to need to know if you're going to be a proper Ikebukuran!" Masaomi announced and he was pretty sure that what he said wasn't even a word. But Mikado kept his sass to himself- not just because whatever Kida could say might help him on his mission, but also because he was just curious.

"Numero uno! That means number one by the way- the most dangerous person in Ikebukuro is," he did a twirl of his finger making Mikado believe that he was going to make another grand statement...but then just rounded back to himself, "Kida Masaomi. The bastard is the real deal man, he'll steal your chicks like candy and babies and he wont apologize. People call him 'Mr. Steal your girl', hell I even saw him once and felt my heart flutter!"  
Another sigh,  
"Square root of 4"  
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Masaomi whined and Mikado felt himself warming to the fake childishness in his voice. It was dangerous to do so, but the voice felt so much warmer and genuine compared to Izaya's.

"I'm just going to ignore that however, because I'm the greater man, and tell you about the second," he held up two fingers,"most dangerous man in Ikebukuro." Mikado felt his curiosity pick up from it's place on the ground.  
"He's tall, he's strong, if he look at him wrong or even at all you might end up halfway across Ikebukuro before you can even blink its Shi-"  
A roar, followed by voices yelling and crashing noises cut him off and Kida let out an amused sigh.  
"Speak of the devil. That mayhem over there is Shizou Hewijima. Just my advice by the way, if you see a man in a bartender outfit, smoking a cigarette, and wearing blue glasses- stay away. It's not worth it."

Mikado followed along, despite feeling the need to run in that direction no matter how scary it could be.  
"The 3rd most dangerous man, though he doesn't look like it, and only frequents Ikebukuro, is Orihara Izaya," he focused on the trembling anger and fear in Kida's voice and tried hard to hide the fact that he knew just how dangerous Izaya was.  
The plan seemingly worked and Kida was silent for a moment before grumbling in a low, harsh voice,  
"The bastards a sociopath, it'd do you best to never cross his path." 

And just like that the tension was gone and Masaomi looked at Mikado unexpectedly; he just nodded. 

 

xxx 

"My, my Mikado-chan. You've only been out there for 2 hours and you've already found yourself a little yellow birdie." Izaya grinned albeit slowly, as the audio-feed of their conversation came in.  
"I'd rather you not grin like a creep when I clock in," Namie said, with that ever present scowl of hers, and walked straight to her office without bothering to check out why he was grinning. How boring. 

"While your visage is definitely something to grin at Namie, my grin has nothing to do with you." He said and closed off the tab since he had heard enough. Namie took the insult like always; by not responding to it and finally letting that wonderful cat-like curiosity win over her tact,  
"Whatever has caught your curiosity must be pretty wretched, I almost feel bad for it." Such a question hidden in subtle wording, Izaya mused yet still gave no real answer. 

"You'll see, if you stay late that is." They each went back to work after that, as Izaya ignored Namie's claims that he was just trying to get her to stay overtime.  


xxx

As they were getting ready to part- Mikado with his new knowledge of Ikebukuro customs, good places to eat, and etc- Kida stopped at an almost horse like roar in the distance. It was as if Kida had gained a whole new vigor.  
"Agh! I cant believe I almost forgot," Kida said and took Mikado's arm without another word," I can't believe I forgot to tell you about Ikebukuro's famous urban legend."  
Kida was a way faster runner than Mikado, who got tired after the first block, but the excitement in Kida's eyes was contagious. He forced himself through the pain with adrenaline. The word 'legend' repeated in his mind, but he hadn't considered his mission at all. This was something he wanted to see for himself.

As they came to a large intersection Kida slowed down and waited as the roar came closer.That's when it came into view. A bike that seemingly embodied the color black, a yellow helmet that almost seemed out of place on a figure just as black, and a slim form perfectly in control of an almost beast like vehicle.

It was more overwhelming than the feeling of having been in Ikebukuro before, of having walked it's streets, of belonging there. It was the darkness of something he couldn't grasp and couldn't hold on to even as it swallowed him whole. He felt so alive at that moment, the world having slowed down for him to a perfect stop. He remembered it, but then it was gone, and he wanted to chase after it, but it's pace was much faster than his, but he increased his speed and touched it again, and then-

Another loud roar and the bike was gone, with it the inability to take a breath or hear anything around him. He had barely made the conclusion that he should be following that bike, and completing the mission Izaya had given him.  
When they finally did separate, with plans to meet again, the first thing Mikado did was retrace their steps back to the intersection. It was 7:30 now and Mikado wondered how fast his time would run out and what would happen if he'd somehow failed his mission. Mikado didn't ponder it for long as he went in the direction the bike went. 

He could tell that it was going to be a long night, but he welcomed it; he felt like the city had welcomed him as well.


	5. With or Without

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You see, me and Masaomi had a falling out not too long ago- so things are pretty tense."   
>  The others voice stayed cheery but the more he talked the more nervous Mikado became,  
>  "T-tense...?" he stuttered and flinched when Aoba laughed. There was a moment of silence before he continued like Mikado had never asked him such a stupid question. 
> 
> "It may just be a guess, but I feel as though your more than what you act like, " Aoba paused as if he was allowing Mikado to feel the full weight of his words, " sorry if that was probably a little bit rude of me suit case-san, but it's what I believe- so what do you say?" 
> 
>  
> 
> xxx  
> Mikado gets an unexpected call and Izaya gets an unexpected job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!!! I'm happy to bring you another chapter of this story, I've finally been able to jump back on to this story and write for it////I'm super tired so this note will be like amazingly short////
> 
> Bye~!

As he rounded the street corner, the faraway but still demanding sound of a telephone ringing brought him to a stop. Granted it had been far away from him and attached to a booth, but it still scared him. He shook his head at his own jumpiness, and would've continued on his way if the ringing hadn't persisted. He paused again staring at the booth with bewilderment and curiosity.   
'Perhaps...it's for me? After all people don't just call random street phones without a reason...right?' he shook his head again, Izaya's insanity must have been getting to him, but still he approached the booth anyway. With twisted anticipation, dread, and skepticism flowing through his veins-he picked up the phone. 

"Hello! I'm glad you picked up the phone, shady suitcase-san!" his assumptions were thrown out the window at the sound of a voice he'd never heard before, "Ah you must be very confused, my name is Aoba Kuronuma, a good friend of Masaomi's." 

He drawled out the word 'friend' in such a way that made Mikado doubt the validity of it.  
He felt a cold sweat wash over him. Just when and where did he fuck up? He considered his options; either talk to Aoba or leave the call and risk something worse happening to him.  
"H-hello Aoba-kun, is there any reason why you called me?" he said nervously looking around for shady guys in masks and dangerous weapons.

The boy made a displeased sound at the other end but continued in a cheerful tone,  
"Skipping the pleasantries and diving right in- not that I mind, in fact I like that about you shady suitcase-san," Mikado could visualize the smile on the others face, "You see, me and Masaomi had a falling out not too long ago- so things are pretty tense."   
The others voice stayed cheery but the more he talked the more nervous Mikado became,  
"T-tense...?" he stuttered and flinched when Aoba laughed. There was a moment of silence before he continued like Mikado had never asked him such a stupid question. 

"It may just be a guess, but I feel as though your more than what you act like, " Aoba paused as if he was allowing Mikado to feel the full weight of his words, " sorry if that was probably a little bit rude of me suit case-san, but it's what I believe- so what do you say?"   
"About what exactly?" he re-adjusted his bag wondering whether or not this deal would negatively affect Izaya, or worse cause the man to abandon him.   
"Just stay off his side, be neutral if you want to I don't mind- just don't help him and you'll be okay with us." Mikado nodded briskly and made a sound of agreement- and with that the line was dead. Sighing and running his hands throughout his hair Mikado wondered just what he had gotten himself into by following Kida. But there was nothing he could do about it now, he couldn't take back his decisions, no matter how much he regretted them.

xxx  
After the strange phone call had ended Mikado had wasted no time, sprinting down the street and not even bothering to check his surroundings.   
For such a reclusive scaredy-cat, the android had proved more than once that he could be bold. That he could be capricious.  
Izaya smiled to himself- though if one looked closely the smile never reached his eyes- but decided to do his work instead of feed that part of him fueled by pure curiosity. 

He grabbed the files that were left on his desk by a certain grumpy yakusa. The case presented to him had been way more than he expected; way more exciting, and way more mysterious.   
'How does one go about finding a person that has never been seen before, never leaves a trace of themselves, and who everybody believes doesn't exist?', was the question Shiki had presented him with right off the bat- surprising Izaya in a way that only the man could.

Izaya kept himself unreadable and explained that he didn't believe that it was possible to live in such an information dependent without leaving at least something behind.  
Shiki agreed and then tossed a mildly large folder on the desk in front of them. Izaya took the folder and crossed his legs, opening it and finding page after page listing the activities of the 'DOLLARS'.  
'The dollars itself is elusive- it has no body. But, if I can find the founder it'll have a head right?' Izaya smiled but Shiki said nothing and left his abode in mere minutes, his bodyguards trailing behind him.

He flipped through the folder with mild interest and he entertained himself by wondering what kind of person the creator of the DOLLARS would be. Would he be like the yakuza? He frowned at the possibility just because of how boring it was.  
Would he be a simple criminal? A mother? A father? Would he be a coward, or a little kid? Would he be a mastermind? The possibilities were endless and he found it harder and harder to keep his mind on his work.  
He glanced at his computer and his excitement soured and rotted. 

Looks like his favorite monster didn't know when to stay away from what was his.

xxx  
Despite what Kida had warned him, despite the mess he had created for himself, despite the angry blond in front of him- Mikado had still to feel a twinge of regret. In fact, the only thing he'd ever regret would be leaving this wonderful city and returning to Izaya's apartment.  
Though his body did hurt from the full on collision with Ikebukuro's strongest man.  
Shizou growled as he picked up his glasses and suddenly Mikado regretted running around a street corner without looking at where he was going.   
"Watch where your going kid, next time you might just hurt somebody besides yourself." Mikado nodded briskly and stood up as fast as possible. A hand pulled at him right when he was about to leave and he was yanked back.

"Oi," the man glared at him," why do you smell like the flea?" Mikado blinked in confusion-causing the man to repeat himself albeit louder.  
"I said, why do you smell like that FLEA!?" Mikado felt sweat roll down his face and swallowed.   
A honk interrupted them, and there in front of them was the person Mikado had spent hours trying to find. The person on the bike quickly got off it, rushing towards them with her phone in her hand while typing something.   
"Celty? What're you doing here?" Shizou sounded calm and Mikado would be relieved if Shizuo wasn't still holding him by the collar.

The phone was shown to them,  
[S-shizuo-san!? What do you think you're doing!?]   
"What does it look like? About to punch this kid across the town." was his answering growl. Mikado looked and the biker in desperation, he'd very much like NOT to get punched across the town please.  
[Why!? Did he anger you or something?]

"He smells like that damned bastard flea!"  
[Just because he smells like Izaya doesn't mean he's directly related to Izaya! He's just a kid Shizou-san! Let him go!] With that he was let go- though begrudgingly- and Shizou started to walk away without another word.  
"Your lucky kid, but if I find out you're with that bastard- you'd do best to stay out of my way."

With that Shizou was gone, and Mikado could finally get to business.  
"Thank you again..ah" the biker quickly typed out something that read 'Just Celty'," Celty-san"   
[No problem, you'll have to forgive my friend, he truly means no harm]   
"Ah, I guessed so after all he didn't stop the moment you told him to. Besides his anger was valid."  
[What do you...] she paused and then made a motion of sudden realization,[ Your not involved with Izaya are you?] 

Mikado couldn't deny the claims, after all he was working for Izaya.   
"I am, and I was sent to deliver something to you" he looked subtlety at the suitcase, not noticing the perpetual smile on his face. Celty shook her head in what was most likely exasperation and pressed fingers on her helmet.   
[Follow me, we can make the transaction, somewhere not so...] Mikado nodded and followed Celty into an alleyway near by.


	6. Wonderless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Long-time-no-see transporter-kun, I see that your getting pretty friendly with Mikado-chan~" Celty began to type something out furiously but Izaya cut her off as if he already knew what she was going to say to him.  
>  "Now I don't know why you'd assume that I'm blackmailing Mika, in fact, contrary to what you believe I've actually been nothing but hospitable to him!"
> 
> Celty looked towards Mikado as if to ask if Izaya was telling the truth, and Mikado nodded.
> 
> (Celty and Mikado get to talkin, and Mikado and Izaya grow just a little bit closer)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again guys! Back again with a new chapter of this story. I'm happy because this chapter was where I was at before I decided to revise the story, so my story will finally start to update on the actual Archive of Our Own page! :D   
>  I hope you enjoy!

Once the transaction was made Celty had little reason to stay behind- but yet, as if to express the unexpectedness of her very existence, she stayed.  
[Why would a kid like you be working for Izaya? Did he threaten you?] Mikado was puzzled by this- why would somebody who barely knew him care about his well-being? He chalked it up to it being part of her nature, just as it was part of his nature to be needlessly polite. So he shook his head and tried to give her a reassuring smile,  
"It's really nothing bad Celty-san, he's not holding me against my will or anything." 

The reassurance didn't work, pushing Mikado to assume that it was also part of her nature to be easily worried.   
[Surely-] As he began to read her rushed message clapping and the familiar sound of Izaya's laughter forced him to look up. There he was, perched almost cat like on the rooftop above them, red eyes impossible to miss and gleaming with amusement. Mikado shuddered as Izaya grinned,   
"Long-time-no-see transporter-kun, I see that your getting pretty friendly with Mikado-chan~" Celty began to type something out furiously but Izaya cut her off as if he already knew what she was going to say to him.  
"Now I don't know why you'd assume that I'm blackmailing Mika, in fact, contrary to what you believe I've actually been nothing but hospitable to him!"

Celty looked towards Mikado as if to ask if Izaya was telling the truth, and Mikado nodded. That didn't do anything to stop her worrying or her anger and she turned to Izaya- who had somehow gotten beside Mikado without the android noticing.  
[That doesn't change the fact that you're making an innocent kid do your dirty work for you! He could be targeted!]

Izaya non-nonchalantly waved her accusations aside,   
"Now, now- I'm sure Mikado needs no help from me to become a target, he'd like a walking problem magnet!" Izaya grinned but his eyes were reprimanding, causing Mikado to flinch under his gaze," getting involved with the Yellow scarves and the Blue squares all in the same same day! I have to admit I'm impressed"  
Irritated by his attitude Celty tried to type again but was interrupted again.  
"Besides, this 'innocent kid' that you're trying to save isn't exactly human" 

She paused in her ministrations and turned her attention to Mikado who had remained silent ever since Izaya had appeared. She held it there and he could feel her studying him, questioning his very existence and he felt a strange displeasure at being reminded that he was wasn't human course through him.   
He had tried to forget.   
Izaya wrapped an unwanted arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer. With a lazy grin he continued,  
"He's an android, a machine, a robot- and technically mine because I bought him, but let just say for now he's under my protective custody." 

Celty stuttered back and begun typing again but Izaya spared her no time and pushed them both down the opposite way. With a regretful stare Mikado watched as she sighed and climbed back on her bike, driving away with the suitcase.   
He wondered if she'd start to hate him.

xxx  
They continued to walk down the streets of Ikebukuro, Mikado pensive and Izaya jolly, catching the gaze of curious people along the street. They must have looked like quite the pair. Izaya payed no mind to it, most likely because he was used to it, and talked to Mikado as if they were absolutely alone,  
"Well then, we've both had pretty busy days," he smiled, " with you and your deals and me and my work- I'd say we both deserve a treat." 

Mikado flinched at the mention of him and Aoba's 'deal' and felt the need to apologize-but couldn't bring himself to. Instead he chose to stay silent and follow Izaya through the crowd. He almost got lost several times one their way to 'Russia Sushi', and flushed in embarrassment when Izaya took his hand and led him the rest of the way.

The inside of Russia Sushi, despite its name, was wholly Japanese. It was almost completely full of people, who chatted quietly as if they would disturb the dead if they talked any louder. One group of people however, sprung to life seconds after they had walked in.  
"Izaya-chii! It's totally not nice to see you but I'll still say it anyway!" The girls voice was high pitched almost to the point of hurting his ears, and she wore only black. Izaya threw an amused smile at her, clearly he was used to this treatment,  
"Nice to see you too, Kawisawa-san, and the rest of the gang of course"

Izaya wasted no time just as usual, and started to walk away from the group- and like a well trained puppy he followed. 'Karisawa-san' as Izaya put it, looked at him with boundless curiosity but they were gone before she had time to properly question his existence. Mikado sighed in relief. They made their way to the back of the restaurant and straight to one of the private rooms still open. 

 

xxx  
"Tell me Mikado," Izaya started and Mikado tensed, "did you ever eat sushi back at your lab?"   
Mikado allowed himself to relax and shook his head,   
"No, they only ever gave me the simplest of foods.'"   
"Such as?"  
"Bread, fruits, vegetables..." Mikado thought he caught a glimpse of Izaya frowning, but it was gone in a second and replaced with a grin,   
"Well then I'm glad to treat you to some of the best fish in Japan." 

The fact taht he was being treated made Mikado stutter, "Y-you don't have too..."  
"Hm? Do you happen to have any money Mikado-chan?" he asked, which silenced Mikado, "besides it's not like you have much of a say in it" This bout of harsh benevolence caused a lapse in their conversation- but Izaya didn't seem to mind it at all and went through the process of ordering their food.   
Mikado decided to step out of his shell,  
"...How was your day today Izaya?" If the question surprised Izaya he didn't show it. 

"Why do you ask?" Mikado felt his spirits diminish even further, of course he would be obtuse even if Mikado was just asking a simple question.   
"I have no real reason," his voice sounded labored, "for you to assume that I have some ulterior motive..."  
This made Izaya laugh, and fix him with a gaze that left him feeling a little naked.  
"You make a good point-but," Izaya said, " interest is as much of an ulterior motive as anything else" 

This confused Mikado, "...how so?"  
"Well, one might ask simply so they can satiate their own curiosity, to fulfill their own desires." 

This made Mikado pause, " but certain things you ask can benefit others. Like...if you were to ask someone who came back from a frustrating day at work how their day was- wouldn't they feel as if that weight was lifted off their shoulders? Or happy because someone cared enough to ask in the first place?"   
"Oh? Is that what you meant to do by asking; make me feel better?" the laughter in Izaya's voice made Mikado blush. For some reason the concept sounded much more ridiculous when said in that tone.  
"Going down that logic however, wouldn't you asking simply for the sake of others mean that you have no interest? Leading to their misery or a fake relationship?"

Mikado felt his brain agreeing with Izaya's logic despite his heart believing the opposite.  
"I wouldn't say misery...after all wouldn't wanting to see them happy mean caring for them, even if only a little?" he reasoned feeling a little frustrated by Izaya's ideals.  
"Now, Now Mikado-chan, now your overreaching. Just how many people do you think ask that question with that sort of mentality. I love my humans, but what I have observed has led me to believe the opposite." He ended his point just as their food was brought into the room.

When the food was set down on the table, Izaya noticed Mikado's glum expression,   
"You needn't feel so upset by your own nature Mikado, it is not completely your fault. What you've been taught and exposed to has wired you to become who you are today. I would even say that that way of thinking is not something to be ashamed of at all."  
"I'm not upset," Mikado rushed to say, " just unsure whether I believe that false sentiment is needed or not needed" 

Izaya split apart his chopsticks and smiled,   
"Do you believe in equality Mikado-chan?" The question was so out of the blue that it caused Mikado to fumble with his own chopsticks.   
"I suppose so...yes" he answered slowly, unsure of where the conversation was heading or whether he wanted to follow it.  
"But does that mean that you'd treat everybody the same way?"

Mikado thought about it, and thought about it some more- but found himself unable to answer. His half-hearted notion of equality was at odds with the strange logic Izaya had seemingly awoke in him.   
"That's the thing, whether you decide to treat someone with false sentiment or not has everything to do with your own ideals, as it does to do with the person themselves."   
When Mikado had nothing to say to this and it became apparent that he wouldn't say anything at all- Izaya started eating. 

Absentmindedly, Mikado stared at the food in front of him for a few solid minutes before Izaya cleared his throat. This snapped Mikado out of it, who quietly apologized and started eating what Izaya said was 'fatty tuna'.   
Mikado didn't have the heart to admit it- because Izaya seemed to be more than enjoying his own meal- but the fish was just a little too fatty for his tastes.


	7. Willow Wisp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody sees you- so you can never be. How? How!? How could you possibly be real?
> 
> Not only did he have to worry about the new colorless gang cropping up in Ikebukuro but now he had to worry about his gangs' mortal enemies.
> 
> "Do you not trust me?" Izaya asked back, Mikado supposed it was his way of answering every question directed at him with no money attached,... "The first reason" Mikado said rather grumpily and for some reason Izaya found that even more amusing.

(A few years ago)

Sirens blare loudly, enough so that you forget yourself in the noise. But of course that'd be impossible, because you had never been anybody in the fist place. A ghost! A ghoul in the night, a specter in the streets. Nobody sees you- so you can never be. How? How!? How could you possibly be real?  
With a loud screech their car swerved to the right with such speed as to leave sparks and dust on the floor. Of course they were scared, even a child could tell that they were terrified simply from the way they drove. Ramming into signs, barely missing poles- what a bunch of reckless troublemakers!   
But what the were running from were children. Idiots? They must be idiots right? Running away from children while being adults. It was silly...right? But of course these innocent children, with their sharp teeth and fun shark masks, might have spooked the already tense adults with just a few choice words. 

Like 'danger', or 'always watching you' or maybe, 'DOLLARS'. But of course they couldn't be at fault- they were just children, they would've had no clue that the 'scary' adults would respond so negatively. Of course this would be a such a likely story. If this wasn't Ikebukuro- no if this was a fairy tale, everything I'd be telling you would be correct. Just a bunch of reckless adults and a group of innocent children.

You see this story could have started with a 'once upon a time', could follow with magical fairies and singing animals, and could finish with a happy ending.It could, but it wont; because this is no fairy tale- this is a tragedy; one where the Joker wears a crown and is never seen.  
One where that Joker manages to hire a few children who were willing to get revenge for him for a set price. Surely this Joker must be the most self-righteous, evil, and quick-tempered person, right?  
xxxxxxx  
(Present day)   
Izaya was conflicted. Of course he'd never admit that to himself let alone anybody else, yet every time his eyes strayed to the android walking around in his apartment he could only feel conflicted.   
He wasn't human. Thus didn't deserve his love. But he was sometimes even more entertaining than a human. The more he finds himself staring at the boy- the more irritated he became. What he felt about Mikado could be compared to how he felt about Shizou, minus the blatant and overwhelming feeling or hatred.  
But he wanted to destroy him. Wanted to break him apart and watch his expressions twist like any other human, even though he wasn't one.

"Mika-pyon~ Where's my coffee?" he whined, chuckling after hearing several utensils clatter in the kitchen,   
"S-sorry!! It'll be done in a few seconds." Normally he would be irritated, but the sound of Mikado flustered voice made it so he didn't mind too much. It baffled him how the same boy that could smile in the face of danger and certain death could be so utterly clumsy and awkward.   
When Mikado came into the room he voiced his thoughts.  
"You can be so clumsy and awkward at the simplest of times, but also smile in the face of death," he took the coffee from Mikado," don't you find that strange?"

Mikado looked at him in utter confusion and Izaya couldn't help but think it was cute.   
"Smile? What do you mean?" Was he that forgetful? Izaya wouldn't be surprised if that was the case but somehow he felt like that wasn't it.  
"Never mind, don't worry yourself over it." he waved Mikado's worried expression away with a smile and with that- the conversation was over.  
xxxxxxxx  
(A few years ago)  
As a young gang leader, Kida Masaomi had to worry about a lot more things than normal teenagers did. Of course he never showed it, so if were one to simply look at him they'd only see a energetic teenager who only thought about women and boobs.  
"Hey boss!" one of the men called for him, and it was still strange to have someone older than him call him boss," we got new info about the Blues. Apparently they've been hanging out in the wrong places and with the wrong people."

His thoughts turned dark at the sheer mention of the rival gang. Before they had never occupied so much of his time or made him so livid-but so much had changed. He walked out of his little hidey-hole and addressed the group standing in wait for him,   
"Tell me everything, every little detail."   
"Well this guy was the one to see the most of them," the original speaker had said and pointed at a teenager with glasses, brown hair and a disconcerting look in his eyes, "so he should be the one explaining." 

"Where did you see them?" he asked crossing his arms and staring up at the slightly taller teen.  
"Near west Ikebukuro, in one of the shipping docs- they weren't causing too much of a mess but they weren't angels either." 

"What were they doing?" he asked which was a simple way of asking if they were doing anything suspicious.  
"Just hanging out, playing cards, stuff like that." Now that threw him into a loop- of course he didn't expect them to be doing illegal things out in the open for all the world to see, but he also didn't expect them to be playing like children. That was new and completely unusual for the Blue Squares he knew.

After being filled in with the rest of the details Masaomi and told his men that he'd be leaving for the day- it was the dead of night really- even though all he really did was go to the park they had reign over. Whenever he had a lot to think about he'd come here, and today was no different.   
Not only did he have to worry about the new colorless gang cropping up in Ikebukuro but now he had to worry about his gangs' mortal enemies.  
He sighed, just another day for a strange teenager like him.  
xxxxxxxxx  
(Present day)  
"Mika-chan!" Izaya called, and there seemed to be a strange sense of urgency behind his usual childish tone that made Mikado drop everything he was doing. He put down the mystery novel he was reading and walked over to the man's office. Then hesitated to approach completely at the site of several screw-drivers and computers at his desk,   
"Yes Izaya-san?" Of course the informant noticed,(how could he not?) and seemed to put as much of his effort into calming Mikado with a smile. He waved the android over with his hand, and like a puppet controlled by a string Mikado was pulled forward. 

"Now, now you needn't be so nervous Mikado, after all it's in my best interest not to hurt you or rather it wouldn't benefit me at all, so I'd have no reason to." Mikado was silent for a moment then respond with almost steely resolve.  
"You're going to do a check up on me aren't you?" he asked and got his first answer from the crinkling of Izaya's mouth into a smile.  
"Do you not trust me?" Izaya asked back, Mikado supposed it was his way of answering every question directed at him with no money attached,"Or perhaps does it make you uncomfortable? A reminder of what you are."

"The first reason" Mikado said rather grumpily and for some reason Izaya found that even more amusing. The look in Izaya's eyes told him that he wasn't getting out of this though, and that it would be in Mikado's best interest not to waste his time.   
"Well I suppose there's not much that I can do about that," he sighed and patted his lap,"come on, sit down"   
After Mikado hesitated again he added,   
"Unless you'd like me to mess up, I'll need you to be at a good angle." 

Mikado groaned internally then sat down. Izaya was surprisingly warmer than he looked- though Mikado supposed he was foolish in entertaining the idea that any human would have a cold body temperature- but something about Izaya's personality made it so easy for him to assume...and then be surprised.  
Mikado being slightly shorter made it easier for Izaya to reach the control panel in the back of his head and hidden by hair. Mikado immediately tensed at the touch making Izaya chuckle.

"How long has it been since you had a proper check up? If your past owners were as neglectful as you've led me to believe- it's probably been too long" Now this question was one Mikado could not answer, only because he had no clue. He tried to think back, tried to grasp at his memories, but in the end he came out with nothing.  
'When was the last time he'd been given a check up?' His befuddlement showed on his face.  
"Don't tell me you never had one?" he pressed and started to unscrew bolts while trying not to get tangled in hair.

"No, I've had one...I definitely had one," he paused,"I just can't remember it."  
Now this made Izaya stop and consider the information he had just learned. Mikado either hadn't had a check up in a long time, never had one ever, or had just forgotten. All possible....  
"Ne, those scientist weren't the ones to create you, were they?" now he was beginning to ask Mikado questions that fell into the realm of curiosity. He didn't need to know this, but simply couldn't resist finding out. Besides if he knew nothing of his android, than what kind of a master could he ever hope to be? Mikado's reaction was even more puzzling. 

He stopped blinking for a moment and chewed on his lip as though he was an outsider looking into his own life, as if he didn't know the answer himself.  
"What...makes you think so?"  
"Well it's human nature," he shrugged, "even if it was an item that was outdated, humans tend to take more care of the things they create."

Izaya did have a point, the scientists did take care of every android they made even if it had a fault or was slightly outdated. Instead of throwing them away they tried to improve them. They did the exact opposite with him.   
Besides, he had always felt as if there was something missing from his memory. It was a nagging feeling that sometimes kept him awake at night, or forced him to find something to do. He chalked it up to mere paranoia, but then he felt it again when he told Izaya that he was sure he'd at least had one check up in his life time. If not with the scientists then...but beyond that he did not know.

"I...don't know, I just- I don't know" Mikado responded shaking his head and distraught enough to convince Izaya to stop his questions for the moment. As he loosened the final screw and opened the control panel he was sure of a few things.  
Mikado's life was much more complicated than it seemed on the outside- his story was much more than that of an old android found by scientists and about to be trashed- and that there was someone behind the scenes who deemed it necessary to cut wires of his memory-literally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was a slow starter and very hard to finish but I'm happy that I did. Listening to drrr ost music has helped in re-kindling my passion for this story but finish this chapter has also helped as well.  
>  I hope you enjoyed. Bye~


	8. Worthless Emoticons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She sighed once more as she reached the parking lot of her- or should she say their home, because that was the truth. Even though it was embarrassing to admit, it was her and Shinra's home.  
>  xxx  
>  He didn't exactly disagree with that- Izaya was controlling, and shouldn't be trusted, but at the same time...it hurt to think. He tried to listening to the background noise of the news in the living room-tried to ignore the pain drumming through his brain. He also forced himself to stop thinking about Izaya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya guys! I'm glad to be bringing you another update though it's a bit shorter than what I would've liked. But I'm glad I was able to bring it to you guys relatively shortly (surely better than some of my paste update wait time).  
>  Anyway another short note :p, Enjoy~
> 
> P.S I LOVE all your comments. Every time I get one some paranoid part of me thinks that it''l be someone telling me that I suck or that they were disappointed with my update, but thankfully that voice is always wrong.  
>  As always I do not mind criticism since I'm nowhere near perfection and can always improve- but somehow seeing you guys so happy and so excited gives me the energy I need.   
>  So thanks guys :D And all the love from this horrible yandere weeb!

If she had, had a mouth then she'd be audibly sighing out what remained of her soul right now. It was stressful enough having to save a kid from being killed after just escaping from the police- but then finding out that Shizou was half justified because the the kid was working with Izaya, and even seemed happy to do so. Even when Izaya showed up...  
She shuddered, it wasn't the fact that Mikado was an android that bothered her-after all she wasn't exactly normal herself- no it was that smile. It never left the kid's face, not even when he was being attacked by Shizuo. He reminded her of Izaya himself, in the way that his eyes shone and the way he talked. And while that was scary enough, Celty had a feeling that it wasn't just Izaya's influence that made him like that. 

She sighed once more as she reached the parking lot of her- or should she say their home, because that was the truth. Even though it was embarrassing to admit, it was her and Shinra's home. The moment she stepped inside she was almost tackled by said roommate, managing to side-step him just in time. He hit his head against the door and just shook it off with a smile,  
"Hello, my darling Celty! How was Izaya's delivery job?" She shook her in exasperation at his antics, but if she had had a face then you'd see her smiling.   
Then at the mention of Izaya's job she deflated, quickly typing out,  
[Tiring...no troubling] This caused Shinra to lost that constant smile on his face in return for a worried one. 

Following her out of the doorway she sat-flopped-down of their couch while he stayed standing.   
"Different than Izaya's normal kind of troubling? Sorry, using the word 'normal and Izaya in the same sentence was horribly offensive, I'll reflect later." he asked; she shuddered again. Sure most of Izaya's transport jobs for her had been horrible, and this one was nowhere close to those since nobody died but still...  
[Way different!]

"Oh man if he made you this irritated it must have been something substantial" Shinra and sat nest to he trying to put his arms around her only to receive a pillow to the face,   
"Come on Celty! Tell me about your work day. I want to know every detail!" After she hesitated he took her hands in his and gave her on of his rare but signature 'serious' looks.   
"You know I've told you before that you can that you can rely on me, that hasn't changed Celty. You can rant to me, cry on me, be depressed on me, heck-you can even use me as a punching bag all you want!" he blushed and closed his eyes as if having a dream,   
"or step on me if it makes you feel better, or-ouch!"

Several pillows to the face got him to shut up and even though Celty felt irritated and mortified by his fantasies at the same time she felt...happy- elated even. It was almost everyday that she was reminded that Shinra would always be on her side. A half hour later of typing with frustration and Shinra was both caught up and a bit baffled.   
He had always known of Celty's pension for worrying about the strangest of things so it had always been his mission to protect her from finding out about the things that could hurt her. But this...he had no idea why Celty was so irritated by Izaya having a minion in the for an a teenage android.   
"I know you're worried for the kid Celty but you're not planning to do a rescue mission and it seems like he doesn't want to be saved, right?" she nodded on both occasions," then why should it matter?" 

This made her stumped. She realized that Shinra was making a good point, but there was just something stopping her from agreeing with him whole-hardheartedly. Yet she had no idea what it was.   
[I don't know, something about that kid...] she trailed off, unable to type out 'reminds me of someone', and it seemed like Shinra wasn't going to force her on the subject.   
"Ne- you must be tired right? You should go rest, I'd hate for you to pass out from stress"

Celty wondered if that was really possible, but after a little bit more pushing from Shinra, she agreed to bed anyway.   
"Good night my sunshine, moonlight, fairy queen!" Which got him another pillow in the face. Yeah-this was their home. 

At the end of it all Cety was reminded of those two...and their strange relationship. She had ever seen Izaya so protective over anyone, let alone someone who wasn't one of his 'precious humans'. Shaking her head as she dosed off she decided that she must've been reading too much into it. After all there's no way, right?  
xxxx

"Well then Mika-cha, I'm off!" Izaya called and left before Mikado could even open his mouth to say goodbye- which, by the way, he wasn't going to say anyway. He stared at the doorway from his place on the couch and glared at it as if it were the one to do him wrong.  
He tried to focus back on the new broadcast, and he was actually able to, but only for a few minutes before his eyes strayed back to the doorway. 

He imagined what it'd be like to be out there again, walking through the streets like nothing else mattered. Without the ever looming threat of Izaya's anger plaguing his mind- and especially without a curfew either. But that was only him dreaming again. He hadn't noticed that he was gnawing at his bottom lip until it was cut by one of his teeth.   
"Ouch!" he hissed, getting up and running quickly to the bathroom in search of tissues. Mikado stopped short at his reflection in the mirror.   
'Exactly what do you think you are?' 

He couldn't bleed, and even though it still stung because of the artificial nerves- every minor cut he would ever receive would be gone in less than 30 seconds. He watched as his lip healed, flooded in on itself and disappeared under fake skin. It made him feel sick. And at the same time Izaya's words came back to him.   
'Or perhaps does it make you uncomfortable? A reminder of what you are' He remembers avoiding the question mainly out of irritation, but yet again Izaya was dead right.  
[Is anything wrong with what you are?]

He hissed again from pain, but this time it came from his head. Suddenly a bout of dizziness hit him like a train, making him sway dangerously and almost his head on the wall of the bathroom.  
"Did Izaya mess up somewhere?" he grumbled, rubbing his temples as if it would succeed in making him feel better.   
'No that couldn't be right...he wouldn't' another shock-wave of pain brought him to the floor. 

[Unless he did it on purpose]   
"He wouldn't have, he said himself" he continued to uselessly rub his temples but the pain only got worse,"Damn...!"  
[Since when did you start trusting that man? He only hopes to lead you astray...abuse...manipulate]

He didn't exactly disagree with that- Izaya was controlling, and shouldn't be trusted, but at the same time...it hurt to think. He tried to listening to the background noise of the news in the living room-tried to ignore the pain drumming through his brain. He also forced himself to stop thinking about Izaya.  
And miraculously his headache was gone. It was a moment of relief and happiness for him. Mikado used the sink to prop himself up and stand up.   
'That was horrible,' he checked the back of his head, which he could barely see even using the mirror, and fingered the hatch in his head as if that would give him answers. When it didn't he breathed a heavy sigh and decided that he needed some tea. 

His relief was short lived however, because the moment he stepped out of the bathroom the feeling was back, and with a vengeance. It was numbing, excruciating in the fact that it flowed through his mind like an itch, and he wanted nothing more for it to end.  
[Why do you stay with him?You can be so much more...you were- in the past]  
"Stop it!" he screamed and disgustingly whimpered,"please...stop!"  
His nerves started to break apart, and his sight started to swim and distort. Whatever made his head hurt so much relaxed its grip, but still held on with no plans of letting go.  
[Why...?Why do you?]  
[It's so much more fun out there...in your home, on the streets]

"B-but he'll get angry!" he refuted then wondered with a kind of maddening self-consciousness who the hell he was talking to. The pain reached its peak only then and then gratefully he lulled, blacking out seconds later.  
[Why does it matter what he thinks? He doesn't own you]

Instead of pain his mind was filled with peaceful silence. Somehow he found himself smiling,  
'Of course he doesn't, nobody owns me.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who the next chapters gonna include :) Guess.


	9. Wingless Descent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All of Kadota suspicions came back at full force. The boy might not have been as bad as Izaya but he was the same breed- or at least was turning into the same breed. 
> 
> (A/N: Anri finally shows and shit goes down.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter this time! This is probably a late update buy all I can do is stop beating myself up about it and try again.  
>  Hope you enjoy and thanks for the comments!

Her normal days always seemed to be followed by increasingly abnormal nights. Her name was Anri, she was a student as Raira academy, and has secrets. So many that often she forgot where the truth started and the lies stopped. She felt guilty, but not guilty enough to tell the truth.  
And she was a parasite, both literally and figuratively.

And as she stared at the sword in her hand, she resented not it, but herself. Saika was her donor, her host, and from it she was able to draw strength and to protect her own heart. Saika loved where she could not, Saika was strong where she was not.  
Often she forgot where the Saika started and where she stopped.  
xxxxx

"Bye Anri-chan!" Erika exclaimed after she finally released the poor teenager from her death grip. Anri found it embarrassing, because Erika could yell across the street just to say bye to her while she could only wave in response. Still people gazed at them in mild curiosity before moving on, and she felt as though Erika and her made an unlikely pair. As the sun disappeared on the horizon so did Erika and the rest of her group, and Anri finally felt safe to do as she pleased again.  
Sighing she adjusted her glasses and hair before moving on herself. It was quite strange for a teenage girl, still dressed in her school clothes, to walk from a cute cat Cafe to a abandoned subway station. It was even stranger still for her to keep walking even when the signs informed people to stop.

After all what kind of a teenage girl goes into a underground mixer just to meet up with people who look just as out of place there as her?  
"Hello mother!" one 20-something salary man greeted, smiling. Anri frowned a little and then placed her bag on the small table in front of the group.  
"I told you to call me Anri, Mr. Suzuki." she chastised though her voice held no real force behind it. She was used to this.  
"Of course mother, anything you want" he smiled again, oblivious and tragically mindless.

For the thousandths time- she felt guilty. Her abnormal night had begun.

(Elsewhere)

When a bird dies, how do you usually respond? Do you stop for a second and pity the poor creature? Do you barely pause and walk past it, too busy to even give a second of your busy life to a dead bird?  
Do you mourn the creature? Do you secretly feel comforted? After all your life cant surely be as short nor as precarious as a small bird. Do you relate to it?

Humans walk the streets everyday- superior whether the believe themselves to be or not- oblivious to much of the world around them, afflicted with an extreme case of tunnel vision. But humans aren't the only beings who walk the streets of Ikebukuro.  
"Dota-chin!" Erika yelled, waving over to the man himself, who muttered 'didn't I tell you not to call me that' before turning to her anyway. Like many things it had become a habit.   
"What is it Erika-" he choked on his words when he saw just what exactly Erika had brought back.   
"Look who I found!" she said and grabbed the arm of the uncomfortable blue eyed teen in the process, "Mika-pyon!" 

Just what had she gotten herself stuck in this time? And it wasn't even that he doubted that she'd be able to get out of any situation she got into, it was that all her problems also become their problems by default. And Kadota would rather stay away from any problem that had the added bonus of Izaya on it.   
But when Mika-pyon looked at him with a sheepish smile he found it a bit hard to be suspicious. How was such a lanky, unassuming kid involved with Izaya?  
"Ah- Nice to meet you Kadota-san" he also didn't call him Dota-chin. Which was always a plus.

He nodded,  
"Just Kadota is fine"   
"I found him walking the streets like he was lost," she said as if that was enough to explain no- justify bringing him over here. He looked around them inconspicuously, in the buildings surrounding them, up and down the streets.  
"He's not here," Mika-pyon said breaking him out of his thoughts. The teen's innocent smile had stayed the same but his eyes changed, they seemed to see right through him and at the same time they lost their innocence, " Orihara-san is busy right now."

All of Kadota suspicions came back at full force. The boy might not have been as bad as Izaya but he was the same breed- or at least was turning into the same breed.   
"So what? Are you supposed to be doing some kind of job for him right now?"   
Mika-pyon shook his head, still smiling. It was beginning to become creepy.  
"No I'm out here for my own reasons." He didn't deny to have done jobs for Izaya before.

"Well if you aren't busy Mika-pyon," Erika interrupted," then you should hang out with us!" He seemed to hesitate and Kadota almost suggested that he leave but stopped himself. What if the kid really wasn't bad after all? What if he was just being manipulated by Izaya?  
What if being around his gang could help? Give the kid perspective.  
In the end Mika-pyon broke to the unmovable force that was Erika Karisawa and Kodata was left by the van, mulling over his thoughts like usual.

 

(Elsewhere, elsewhere)

"What is it?" a fimiliar hiss of hatred and fimiliar icy glare of Namie. Oh how he missed it all.  
"Nice to see you too, Namie." he barely tries to sound insulted this time, aggrivation getting to him in such a way that it had never had before. Perhaps it was this that caused Namie to pause, step away from his locked door, and let him in.  
She rolled his eyes as her boss walked in a sat down like it was his home. Which technically it was but at least the couch, and the decorations, and the table he was putting his shoes on was hers-  
"Hey! At least have some decency"

He ignored her and started scrolling through his phone- what did he come for here in the first place?   
She tried a jab,   
"Something must have really annoyed you to make you act like a petulant child"  
He simply smiled and laid even further into the couch.

"Oh, where did this sudden interest in my affairs come from?" stupid face, annoying grin, aggravating voice- oh how she didn't miss it at all," didn't you yourself say that you'd want nothing more than to never hear the name 'Orihara Izaya' ever again?"   
"That still holds true," she agrees, and kicks his feet off her table when she passes him on the way to her office, " but I can't kick you out like I'd very much like to, so might as well find something to laugh about" 

"Well if you really want to know the reason for my misery so much Namie," he stalls and then adds," I'll need a favor" She groaned and sat down on her chair.  
"Never mind- you coming in just made me realized how much work I had to do."

"Let me rephrase it," he declared in such a tone that Namie learned meant that there was no getting out of whatever Izaya had planned," as your employer- boss- I demand answers to a subject, or shall I say, company which I know you have."  
She almost groaned again at the mention of such a company.  
"What could I possibly tell you that you don't already know?" to that Izaya stood, walking over to her coffee machine and draining it of every last drop of liquid. Great.  
"You see, the problem is- that I thought the same thing," he leaned on the counter and stared at several things in the kitchen that Namie had not yet changed or gotten rid of, "but in all life things don't work out the way you planned them too, people do the unexpected, climates change, wars start over the smallest of things-"  
"Get to the point" she interrupted dreading another Izaya length diatride. He ignored her,

"-And information is either too old to be relevant, hidden away with thousands of other unimportant info, or nonexistent."  
She almost laughed, but called upon her already limited self- restraint.  
"The great Izaya Orihara? Unable to find information?"   
He of course ignored her attempt to get a rise out of him,  
"Tell me Namie," he started," do you have any experience working on androids?"

She paused and stared at him like he had a few screws loose, a common occurrence. Almost as often he is excited by the unexpected and unplanned parts of his life, he is also comforted by the things that will never change.  
"No, I told you before that I only worked in-"  
"Or rather," he interrupted infuriating her," does your former company have experience working with androids?" 

And before she could answer, before she could vehemently deny or even question Izaya's suggestion- his phone went off. A quiet ding that in any other circumstances would be ignored by Izaya in favor of continuing his current conversation. Yet it was just as important, perhaps even more so.  
He dug into his pocket and flipped open his phone. A slow smile, strained and almost malicious, spread across his face. She knew what that smile meant to. Izaya walked over to her and showed the phone to her.   
On the screen was a boy, blue eyes and black hair.  
"While we're on the topic of androids answer me this Namie," he said and watched her face morph into one of reproach; he had his answer but asked anyway," do you recognize this one?"

Then he closed his phone and his smiled shifted to the one of a winner basking in his glory. She stared at from where his phone was in his hand to his face,  
"I'd rather not"  
The links connect, while the chick- rather than fly- falls out of his nest.


	10. When a Bird Dies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba and Mikado meet for the first time face to face and Aoba has a lot of unnatural habits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys its been quite awhile since I updated. I swear I didn't mean to take so long but I had a period where I had no inspiration for writing at all- like not even reading could help. But just recently have I been writing for all my fanfictions and it feels great to be back.  
> Of course writers block will always loom over my head but at least now I have some sort of schedule going. I'll make no promises of course but I hope you'll stick with me anyways.  
> Hope you enjoy! For this chapter I'm writing mostly in the point of view of my favorite blue haired shark XD.

He had nothing left. His old apartment complex was gone, his past connections were burned, his memories- well his memories were being shared with a meek little boy that couldn't even stand up for himself. He thought that he had woken up in a unfortunate situation before- when he opened his eyes to find himself being prodded by scientists- but this was even worse. It was more than an unfortunate circumstance, it was a major setback, to be thrown back in Ikebukuro with nothing left to control.  
No- that wasn't right. There was one thing he had left.

As he walked through the crowded streets of his home, he dug through his pockets for the one useful thing that man had given him.  
A phone. With a quick snap he opened it. It was a fairly simple phone, not even the latest model, but that was to be expected. As long as it had what he was looking for-  
A completely dark website with two simple words in the middle of it. He didn't know it but he was smiling.  
_ Log In?_

xxxxx 

[ Aoba's POV ]

Aoba often wondered what it'd be like to be somebody different, but it wasn't because he hated his life. Sometimes the things he had to deal with were annoying, yes, and most of the time he was bored out of his mind, but still, he didn't hate his life. He wondered because he wanted to know what people were thinking.  
People moved through life restlessly, going from one place to another, changing from this expression to that expression, and even changing their personalities to suit their peers. He could guess what these millions of people were thinking everyday, and probably be right, but it wasn't the same as knowing their exact thoughts- or understanding their reasons. If he could see people's lives through their own eyes, he'd be untouchable. 

Aoba never let these thoughts take up his work time, instead allotting them to lonely nights when he wanted to do nothing more than go on an adventure.  
But no, in Ikebukuro he was- and in Ikebukuro he'd always be.  
He remembered trying to talk to his 'friends' about his weird obsession, though he cant remember what possessed him to do so, and was met with expected disappointment when they simply told him to 'read novels'. No one had really understood it, understood him.  
Well nobody but him. 

He was never really a friend to begin with. In fact, Aoba had never even know his real name, just his silly pen name; Tanaka T.  
Yet he had been to only one to get it, to connect to him. It was disgusting how well they got along despite the fact that Tanaka only ever hired him for his gangs ability to destroy. Aoba had always expected to have weird relationships, but he had never expected to have a real friendship.  
If that's what you even called the twisted relationship they had.  
But Aoba enjoyed it nevertheless and spent his free time trying to find out who his friend was. He was obviously some sort of boss of the Dollars-but beyond that he found nothing. Aoba wouldn't be surprised if he was some sort of robot.

 

xxxxx

Aoba often found himself recognizing people he had never seen before. It wasn't the strangest part of his personality, but it managed to creep people out the most- much to his glee-, whenever he'd walk up to somebody and say their name and talk to them like he would over in a chat. Whenever these people asked who he was and how he knew them, he always responded with;  
'You're [insert Internet name] aren't you?" and the people would always react in various degrees of fear.

Which always confused him because sure he was in the business of crime, and most of the people he talked to were drug addicts, gang members, drug dealers, and hit-men; but that didn't mean that they had to be antisocial.  
Whatever, anyways, that wasn't the point. The point is that Aoba has a habit of recognizing people he had never seen before. Which included Mikado Ryuugamine.

The first time he sees him is from far away. He looks meek and like a pushover, but Aoba decided not to be quick to judge. Mikado...reminded him of someone. He didn't know who exactly, but he felt close to him regardless. It was a feeling he masked as manipulative interest, but there was something else there.  
When he called Mikado later to threaten him, Mikado reacted just the way Aoba had expected. He expected him to be meek, he was, and Aoba was disappointed.  
But when he learned he was working with Izaya just a few days later he changed his mind again- after all there must be something interesting about him if Izaya had hired him. 

The second time he sees him, well he's disconcertingly different.  
xxxxx

"Mikado-san!" Aoba called out to the Mikado, his curiosity blinding his sense of judgment At first Mikado seemed the same as before, jumping when he called him and looking at Aoba as if he was a scary monster. Once Aoba smiled innocently he relaxed  
"Ah, hello Aoba-kun" he says still keeping a distance and even though Aoba knows it useless he still tries to comfort him.  
"Don't worry I'm not here to threaten you or anything, I know you upheld your part of the deal-so far anyway."  
Mikado blinked at him, confused,  
"I'm not worried Aoba-kun, instead isn't it you who's keeping a distance from me?"  
Aoba stood there, if only for a second, openly perturbed and distressed before unconsciously smiling at Mikado,  
"I don't know why you would say that Mikado-san, I'm the one that found you remember?"

Mikado smiled, though it didn't feel like he was smiling back at Aoba; rather he seemed as though he was mocking Aoba. He seemed to know something Aoba didn't. Mikado responded with a neutral 'I suppose so' and that set the tone for the rest of their short-lived conversation.  
They parted with last words that were so normal that Aoba could barely remember them- but somehow, he was happy. Disturbed and frustrated- but happy. Mikado wasn't what he thought he was; he was intelligent and knew more about Ikebukuro then he let on.

Aoba often found himself aligning with people too dangerous for his own good. He smirked as he watched Mikado walk away, glued to his phone like it was a part of him. He loved the dangerous feeling, loved walking on the edge and pulling back, and most of all, loved his life.


	11. Wireless Peril

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikado scouts, Kida doesn't belong, and Erika...well Erika's Erika.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter! And fairly on 'schedule' too!Thanks for everybody who commented and cheered me up after my last chapter! <333  
>  I'll be counting these updates as little victories no matter how pathetic that might seem. And also, if anybody has any criticism or comments on mistakes I made please leave them! I'm nowhere close to the best writer and can sometimes miss the mistakes in my own story.  
>  Hope you enjoy!

xxxxx   
[Mikado's POV]  
Was this how it was like to be reborn. Like he was a hairless bird with no ability to fly, but nevertheless would have to jump learn how. And as he walked past and barely looked at his old apartment complex he saw his first chance to try.  
Kyohei's group.   
He had barely interacted with them before, so it was unlikely that they'd be suspicious. And he didn't even have to approach them himself. 

Erikawa had just stepped out of a store when she noticed him.  
"Mika-chan!" she shrieked even though they were only feet apart. One thing led to another and Erika's forceful nature somehow got him into following her

Erika led him forcefully- as if she was afraid he was going to run- inside a shady, but colorful karaoke building. They went down into an even shadier basement until they reached a door with a flashing, neon sign. Mikado was a hesitant to approach the door but when he heard bad singing and even worse music, all his nervousness disappeared.   
Going inside calmed him down even further. It was only a party filled with teenagers and adults getting drunk. Even Erika's main group- except Kadota- was there, so there was nothing to be worried about...yet.  
But still, it made him wonder why he was there.

"I brought the final guy! Now it's all even between guys and girls!" Erika announce though it seemed like no one actually cared.   
'Ah so it was to fill a quota.' he stood at the door for a moment searching for an empty seat in the back of the room. When he sits down he is fully prepared to be bored out of his mind.  
That is until he turns and sees Kida sitting across from him, staring back at Mikado with wide eyes. Then the mask comes back and he switches to smiling happily.  
"Mika-chan! Congrats on getting into your first mixer and becoming a man!"  
xxxxx

It wasn't surprising to hear about the Dollars anymore. Everybody from Gangs, gossipers, teens, neets, worried families, and even law enforcers talked about them. But nobody ever said the same thing, or viewed the Dollars in the same way.  
To those who knew the truth about the Dollars- that wouldn't be surprising. The Dollars had no leader, had no goal or mission, and had no color. This made it impossible to understand who the Dollars were. 

Were they a bunch of kids having reckless fun?  
Not really, because groups and gangs operated under the banner of Dollars.  
Alright then they're a bunch of adults trying to manipulate people and make a profit? No because that really nice old-lady next door is also part of the Dollars.  
Then they must be a bunch of wannabe heroes of all ages getting mixed up with some bad people?  
Well, not with dangerously impossible to understand groups like Kyohei's in Ikebukro.  
Fine then a bunch of mixed people who signed up for the Dollars with no idea what they were doing and have nothing to do with each other!   
That -frustratingly enough- isn't it either, because sometimes, when things fell into the right place all the Dollars gather in the same place at the same time. They worked together in perfect tandem without even knowing each other- almost like they had the same brain. It only ever happened rarely though.

But that stopped happening entirely a few years ago- the few who really knew the truth would know this.They'd also ramble about how things were better in the past, and how everything that was great in the Dollars was just falling apart.   
As if things had ever been great in the first place.   
If one thing was true- as the person who really knew the truth would tell you- was that the Dollars wasn't a million or billion people pulling in different directions anymore. It was multiple figure heads, all proclaiming to be the 'true' Dollars and all ruining his perfect, anonymous world.  
That person would also tell you that, that it was all about to end really soon.  
Only he didn't know the true outcome of his decision. Only one person knew that the more you tried to cut off the heads of a Hydra, the more heads it would grow.  
xxxxx

[Mikado's POV]

What he thought was just a pointless venture into 'being social' had turned out to be his chance to reconnect with the world he had lost touch with. On further inspection he realized that almost everybody in the karaoke room was a Dollars member. Only Kida differentiated from the rest, completely unaware that he was being surrounded by the very gang he despised.   
And Kida...well he didn't know who Mikado was. It was a situation that had the possibility of becoming a chaotic play.

Mikado didn't realize that he had still yet to say anything to Kida until he coughed. Mikado flushed,  
"Oh-Hi Masaomi-kun!" he wanted to continue the line of dialogue steer it towards something much more productive for him, but Erika interrupted everybody at once,  
"Welcome all! This is the super lovely-lovely Erika speaking!" everybody gave some rather unenthusiastic cheers and groans.  
"And while this isn't the first time we've hosted an event like this- this event is totally different from the rest!" she paused as if expecting gasps from her audience and excited questions. When she received none she simply continued as if she had,  
"Why is it different you ask? Well that's because this is the first party we've ever had specifically for the Dollars!"

While the room was still silent, something had changed in everybody's demeanor Mikado could tell. People all over the room either tensed, looked around in shock, or pretended to be ignorant. Nobody besides her and Walker were excited. Mikado stayed neutral and watched Kida out of the side of his eye.  
"And don't worry! This isn't like a police screening or anything! After all," she showed us her phone which showed a chat only accessible to Dollars currently going on, "We're Dollars too!"  
Not even that was enough to get the tension out of the room. Mikado looked to Kida at just the right time for their eyes to meet and for Kida to flash him a grin. Mikado was confused. After all, just earlier Kida looked not at all happy, and even mad. And now...he looked excited.

"Oh! Oh!" Kida yelled excitedly waving his hands in the air like a child," pick me Erika-san!"  
"Yes Kida-kun!" Erika yelled back and pointed at him just as excitedly.  
"Well I was thinking, that since we're all Dollars here, and since you a Dollars member brought us here that you have some sort of grand plan! And I just wanted to warn you that if your about to form a gang that my parent's always said that gangs are bad and that you should stay out of them!" Mikado resisted the urge to roll his eyes, others barely tried.  
"That is correct on all accounts Kida Masaomi. I am here for a grand plan. But not so much a gang but much more a support group."

Everybody looked at her in disbelief.   
"Walker would you be so kind as to do me a favor of explaining our master plan"  
Walker sprung to life and out of his chair,  
"Alright so our plan is-" Erika clasped hands with him and they both shouted,  
"To make the Dollars fun again!"  
......


	12. Watchful Gazes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before every consequence, there must be an action. Everywhere around Mikado's actions there is a web of consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys how's it going? :) I wont even bother with the long winded apology today but as an explanation to this late chapter- AP Test, AP History essays, all my writing confidence gone.  
> XD Enough of the silliness! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a little bit longer than usual.
> 
> ///Also in May and Much of April I will probably be gone. Again, AP Test///

Everybody who got drunk stumbled out of the store into the neon streets of Ikebukuro. Mikado stayed behind, still determined to finish his conversation with Kida despite the meeting that had just transpired. After a while of waiting without any sign of Kida, Mikado was prepared to give up and go back 'home'.  
He had accomplished his mission, and now wanted to go home and watch things unfold.

That was until he heard a door in the alleyway open and close. He curiously walked over there and was surprised to see Kida walking the other direction. Mikado debated whether or not to follow him-after all Kida could very well be meeting with his gang.  
But at the same time, wasn't that what he wanted? To set things in motion? To do that he'd have to approach Kida, he thought resolutely, and followed Kida into the darkness. 

Kida walked for long, and every time Mikado got close he seemed to get further away. So Mikado followed him blindly, as if all his reason had disappeared with the wind. At some point his vision had faded and his step had faltered, so that when he opened his eyes again- Kida was gone. Mikado looked around, still disoriented but coherent enough to hear the sound of people running towards him.  
His visions faded again and his reality blurred into visions of the past and present. He saw Izaya, then he saw the scientists, then he saw Celty, then he saw a young Aoba, then he saw- a man. A man who's smile and glasses distorted and mocked his stupidity.  
'Didn't you know that this would happen?' he said and though his voice was cold Mikado could only feel burning heat. Somewhere in the distance the running only got closer. Somewhere in the distance Kida only got further.  
'This always happens, you know- when you run away' The pain became acute, and his brain throbbed and swam in his skull. His vision went white for a moment, until he sank further into the darkness of the night.  
'Silly boy- It's never so simple'

xxxxx  
He woke up a few hours later to the cold, smelliness of a dark alleyway- hurt and broken. It took him a while to focus on anything in particular besides the buzzing in his head, and the pain in his limbs. When he tried to get up he almost fell back down.  
Everything hurt. But what stood out more than his pain was the fact that he couldn't remember anything of the last 24 hours he had been awake. He scoured the space around him for nothing in particular and grabbed blindly for his phone.  
To his relief he still had it- whoever did this must not have wanted it. He checked his phone and saw that it read 12:45 midnight. Just what had he done to get here?

Tired and bruised, he could only walk home, his own failure laughing at him and his head hung in confusion and shame. Somehow even in his own self-afflicted misery he managed to look up to the stars, towards the moon and perhaps beyond. He had not even the energy to curse them.  
He walked up the stairs of their apartment and he searched for his key- only to come up empty handed.  
'Great! I haven't dropped in anywhere have I!?'  
He muttered a curse and looked up to see it dangling in his vision, with Izaya holding it up, smiling, yet at the same time glaring at him.

Damn, he had forgotten.  
Silently Izaya pulled the key back and walked further in the apartment as if everything was fine. Mikado knew better. He was sure even the moon- which lit the apartment with a soft but eerie blue light- knew better. He struggled to say something. A 'sorry', or a 'hello' or a 'good evening'. But he opted to stay silent, knowing anything he said would just fall flat and stay lying on the ground.  
Instead he simply followed Izaya's footsteps and walked in as well.

Inside was so cold that it made him shiver, but otherwise it was the same as he had left it, messy and silent with the TV on.  
Out of habit he started to clean, shutting off the television and picking up the plate of food that he had also left there. In the middle washing the dishes Izaya called him,  
"Mikado" and he flinched, as if being broken out the weird trance they had both been in. Now he nerves ran rampant again and he almost considered leaving and escaping whatever punishment he knew he would receive.

Even if it wasn't bad, even if Izaya didn't throw him out, even if Mikado didn't want to stay in the first place- guilt gnawed at him still. Because he hadn't just left the apartment, he had done so in an attempt to leave forever- and couldn't even remember what he had done in that time.  
"Yes Izaya-san?" once he was in front of Izaya he was unable to keep his face expressionless. Especially when Izaya presented him with a memory card. He looked, confused, back to Izaya before taking the object.

Once in his hand he studied it- it was small thing, perfectly fit for his phone. Something about it made his heart swell and possibilities swarm like hornets in his head.  
'It'll just be used as another method to control you' something in him argued and suddenly he wasn't so hopeful anymore. He stared hesitantly at Izaya who still hadn't said anything besides his name, and was still smiling the way he had when he let Mikado in.  
He shivered. Izaya was still angry; livid even, and like this he was unpredictable.  
"For you" he confirmed but still Mikado's worries weren't quelled in the slightest.

"But- why?" Why would you give me this? Why aren't you getting angry at me? Why am I still here? Perhaps the last question was for himself to himself. Why was he still here? When Aoba's offer still stood, waiting for him granting him the ability to be free without the invisible chain of 'master' choking him.  
"Why?" Izaya seemed contemplative, " well when a child misbehaves and knows they've misbehaved then why should a parent need to tell them?"  
At that Izaya glared at him and Mikado couldn't help taking at step back as if he had been physically punched when all Izaya did was glare at him. Something alien, much different than the feeling of guilt or failure, filled him with the desire to become invisible.  
"Tell me Mikado," his turned back towards Izaya," how much does freedom mean to you? Does it mean enough that you would rather throw yourself to the dogs rather than be safe? Would you sacrifice all that gave you comfort, just for a taste?"

"You seem rather inept at taking care of yourself though," his eyes laughed at him, mocked him.  
He bit his lips in an attempt to not dig himself into a bigger hole than he already was. His entire being screamed 'I don't need you' and 'It's not like you care about me anyway'.  
"So you'd probably only last a second after achieving your new found freedom. And you'd end up just like you are now, bruised and broken and wishing for a place to come back to- only to find that you have none"  
Weakly he shook his head in response to Izaya accusations,  
"I- I would do fine, I-" pathetic tears formed in his eyes and like a dam overflowing now there were multiple of them streaming down his face. Why? Why am I still here? 

The headache he had tried so hard to drive away was back now. Coming in waves and only irritating him more and more.  
'I don't need you' . The voice said and for the first time he realized that there was a difference between his voice and that voice. The mental dots were barely able to connect under the pressure of his headache and he wondered when it would end.

Another voice jumped in, mocking and shaming,  
'But you want him'  
"Shut up!" he lashed out only to realize how crazy he must have seemed; a crying mess who was yelling at nobody.  
In the blurriness of his vision he saw Izaya get up and lean over the desk to pull him closer. He saw the man's maddening smile and dark red eyes. There was a long period of silence, as Mikado cried and Izaya was surprisingly nice. Such a sharp contrast to how he had been before.  
"No wonder you seem so human" he muttered to himself, as he stroked Mikado's trembling back.  
The tears finally slowed and his headache finally disappeared. Mikado could see the Izaya clearly now. His smile seemed less sharp now, less condescending and more...warm.

"Honestly it'd be rather hilarious to see. Your hope and happiness, would be a wonderful prelude to your misery and defeat," he said, " but I am not much fond of handing over my toys to others you see. I never really understood the value of 'sharing'."  
"Does that mean...you won't throw me out?" he asked desperate for confirmation on something he should have never wanted in the first place.  
Izaya laughed,  
"For someone who 'doesn't need me' you sure want to stay don't you?" He let Mikado go and opened his laptop so that he could get back to work.  
It was almost jarring. To be in someone's warm embrace one second, and then to be shunned and left in the cold the next. He shook his head, and tried to get himself back together. The headache he had was gone, Izaya wasn't throwing him out, and he now had a memory card. 

As if none of that had ever happened he continued to clean, putting the card in his pocket with the intent to look at it when he had free time.  
When he was done with cleaning about 30 minutes later, he started to walk up the stairs.  
"Oh and by the way, that doesn't have a tracking system on it, it's all yours" he heard Izaya say and he was confused again. This time however Izaya didn't leave him confused for long,  
"It's not like I can't figure out what your doing anyway. In fact it'd be more work to install tracking on that device than to dig up info"  
Mikado would've laughed at that if it didn't make Izaya sound like a complete stalker.

He stared at his phone and then at Izaya, who stared at the city outside the window. It bustled with light and energy, and he suddenly didn't feel so guilty anymore. At least something good came out of his little stunt.  
"Thank you" he said with more useless politeness than anything else. Izaya turned to him, shrugged, and fixed him with a look that said,  
'Don't try to escape again'  
And even though Mikado hated being trapped, hated being owned, and hated being stifled- he found that he could not hate Izaya at all.


	13. Waning Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikado's actions had consequences. Immediate, long term, and unintended consequences. And not just for him either.  
> Takes place after the DOLLARS meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly this chapter has very little to do with the story and more to do with Mikado and Izaya interacting and Izaya pulling the same old shit. Still I had a hard time with this chapter. I used to be semi-confident with my writing, I knew that I wasn't too great, but I was able to write regardless.  
> But recently its like my fingers have lead in them and I'm afraid of even writing down my thoughts. All I can do is try to write even while being paranoid that everything I write is shit.
> 
> Sorry for the rant! Hope you enjoy this painfully short chapter.

Mikado's actions had consequences.  
The immediate consequence was what Izaya called 'being grounded' for a month. And even though he was technically free to leave at anytime, Mikado found that he couldn't. Despite all mortification, that he felt the day of his escape, being grounded wasn't hat bad. He got to stay home, clean, cook, read and occasionally banter with Izaya whenever he was there.  
The immediate consequences weren't so bad- but the extended ones were. The more time he spent around Izaya, the more he noticed about the man, and the less he hated his situation. 

He found it cute, albeit ridiculous, the way Izaya avoided answering personal questions. He was hyper-aware of the subtle shifts in his tone, and even more aware of the way Izaya looked at him. Mikado had no idea what was going on with him and wished that he wasn't around Izaya 24/7 so he could think.

'Mikado~' Izaya called for the 10th time that day and broke Mikado out of his self-analytical daze. Sometimes he felt as though the constant nagging was Izaya's weird way of punishing him.  
'Coming!' he was a little slow in replying and in typical fashion, Izaya noticed immediately.  
'You hesitated didn't you Mika-chan!' Mikado flinched and imagined the malicious smile on Izaya's face from the other room. Still, he walked over to Izaya's desk. 

The man was lazing back on his large chair, spinning around like a child, but smiling like a maniac. Mikado's traitorous mind thought it endearing.  
'What did you need me for?' he said trying to keep the irritation out of his voice but failing. Izaya stopped his spinning and stopped his smiling. Mikado would be afraid of that gaze if he wasn't so tired...or so entranced. Izaya said nothing at first then wheeled over to where Mikado was standing. 

'Are you tired of me already Mikado?Its barely been a week' he asked strangely serious and Mikado avoided his eyes. Izaya grabbed his arm and pulled him forward so quickly that Mikado fell on top of him. That woke Mikado up as he scrambled to sit up on Izaya's lap. He stared at Izaya, slightly worried and slightly flustered.  
'Your tired right?' he smiled again and Mikado knew he was teasing him, ' so you can rest on me'  
Mikado didn't know how to respond at first so he didn't. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, with Izaya rubbing circles into his back- until Mikado finally said,  
'But why did you call for me Izaya-san'

Izaya shrugged, his eyes shifting like they usually did whenever he was trying to hide something,  
'I was bored. All I ever do is talk to creepy old men, it can get to a guy you know' That made Mikado chuckled, if only from how ironic the statement was. Mikado was silent, wondering if he should keep trying to understand the man, or if he should just go with his flow.  
'You're the creepy old man!' he chose the latter and Izaya's fake reaction-rather than make him laugh-made him feel miserable.

xxxxx  
When Aoba talked to Mikado about a deal, he hadn't expected this outcome. He had assumed Izaya would stay out of it, like usual, and remain a bystander in their special little play.

But of course that too much to ask of the man. This was the consequence of getting too comfortable in his position, of working too hard and trying to rally too many sheep in one slaughter house. He looked from afar at his destroyed house, and the door that the vandal had left ajar.  
Then he looked at the text message he had just received from 'Anonymous'.  
'Hope you like it when somebody else makes a mess of your home' .

It shocked him, almost to laughter, hat a man so detached from the world, so void of humanity and everything compassionate- would consider Mikado a part of his home. It was just baffling. And disgusting.  
'It does matter', Aoba thought and started to walk back to his headquarters, 'what's done is done'. Mikado and him had found each other again, and the 'friendly terms' between the Dollars and the Blue Squares had been reestablished. 

Yet, even as he walked miles away from his now burning house, he still felt angry. Why?


End file.
